Automated winding machines facilitate efficient, high-speed winding of webs of materials, such as interleaved or connected plastic film bags, into individual rolls. An apparatus of this nature includes a conveyor along which the webs of material are serially conveyed, and an associated, indexable winding turret having a plurality of winding spindles mounted thereon. The spindles of the winding turret can each be indexed to a so-called transfer position, with winding of a roll initiated by transferring a leading edge portion of one of the material webs onto the winding spindle. The spindle is rotatably driven in coordination with speed at which the webs are conveyed, thereby forming a coreless roll on the spindle. When the roll is completed, another spindle is presented at the transfer position for winding, while rolls previously formed on the turret spindles are moved at a discharge position through which the spindles are indexed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,180, hereby incorporated by reference, discloses a drive arrangement for effecting drive of the winding spindles, with a typical winder apparatus exemplified by commercially available Hudson-Sharp M-450 continuous motion winder.
Heretofore, operation of such a winder apparatus can inadvertently result in mis-transfer of one of the webs of material, that is, failure to initiate the intended winding of the web onto the winding spindle at the transfer position. Naturally, such mis-transfers undesirably results in wasted product and undesirable down time for the equipment.
Heretofore, initiation of web winding has been effected by the provision of an air horn which acts upon the leading portion of the web of material to effect transfer to the associated winding spindle in the transfer position. A air blast from the air horn is precisely timed so as to direct air at the web on the conveyor, forcing the web off of the conveyor and around the winding spindle which is positioned in operative association with the air horn.
As noted, this existing transfer arrangement can sometimes undesirably result in mis-transfer of the webs of material. Additionally, this particular component of the winding apparatus is a relatively expensive part to fabricate, entailing substantial machine work for its manufacture.
The present invention is directed to a winder apparatus including an improved arrangement for effecting web transfer, which not only desirably precludes inadvertent mis-transfers, which is also desirably straightforward in configuration for economical manufacture and use.